Wow, great replies, thanks, you guys!
Obviously, I want to keep it Hobie, because of the great source of knowledge, parts, and the know how around these parts(you guys), and i kinda know the boats somewhat, other brands mean learning it all... all over again, making new parts contacts and etc.
I have, what i feel is a dream H18...wings, new sails etc. Why would I want more...? I'll tell you what got my eye wandering...
I picked up this old but complete Tornado(with tilting hydraulic trailer). When i bought it, i didn't even know what it was, I was told it was a Panthercraft, not a Tornado...huh?...ok...the price was right, it looked cool and I love sailboats, sailing and especially beachcats, just like you guys...so, i bought it...planning to keep my baby, i wanted to expand my fleet and start a new project for the love of 'messing about in boats'...the trailer needs a lot of new steel and that's what I'm working on right now(welder's cooling off as i type).
when i first saw it! wow! it struck me like an F-16 fighter compared to my old barn stormer...and later when i found out what it really was, i thought even better of it. I found out that it is a one design Olympic racer, easily one of the fastest two man beachcats ever designed! Flat out hull speed, is what it is best at.
It is a complete boat and every thing is there, daggers, rudders, mast, etc. So, i decided I'm going to take this thing on right...figure it all out, put it all together, make the trailer safe, clean it up, replace blocks, lines so on and so forth...this thing has really got into my head, as i'm imagining my self, blistering across the lake at record speed...making my 18 seem more and more like a piper cub compared to this tactical fighter, as far as looks and so called performance, sitting next to it...and then I learn that there are these things called 'Marstrom Tornados' or "Reg White Tornados", they are basically the same as an older tornado as far as hull SHAPE, but they are improved upon, but still one design,built out of modern materials - Kevlar-epoxy hulls(light weight 350~380 pounds rigged w/sails), high aspect ratio modern sail plan, same for the daggers and rudders, self tacking jib setups, spinnakers and some even have carbon masts...Whoa!! and if you buy one right (not too new) you'll spend the same as a really nice H21 or Miracle...minus the carbon mast, and more importantly, the plethora of support, considering all aspects.
to try and keep this as short as possible...I love my Hobie, but I DO like the thought of a measurably higher performance cat. So, what I've been thinking is, sell it all, skip trying an F-18 boat of any kind, and work towards a mid-nineties Marstrom-Tornado with a spin... ride the lightning!!...even the Wikipedia describes it as the 'formula 1 race car of the two man catamarans'...
keep in mind, i do some single handing and also want to include my family here and there. please...am i crazy?...would a Miracle, H21 or N20 with spinns, give me the same or similar performance, or better yet, thrill me over an H18 with a custom spinn set up?
one major draw back with a Tornado, would be it's beam...I would have to sell the tilt trailer with the Panthercraft, seeing it's worth more than the boat itself, to make the $ work towards the new boat.
the Marstrom would have to be broke down and put on a flat bed type trailer to take it to the lake...and then it would have to be transported from ramp to dry storage and vise versa, via dollie.
ok, I'm ready, let me have it!!
thanks in advance guys, really
wes
_________________ Wes 92 Miracle 20 + magnum wings
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